Aerial Drone Operations

For example, accessing hard to reach locations, entering dangerous areas or zones without human presence, obtaining previously unobtainable information and increasing field operator safety. Drones do all of this, and more, with far more cost efficiency compared to airborne planes or helicopters. This is just some of the benefits that drones have served asset owners.

The timing and growth in drone technology has fortunately arrived at exactly the right time for the renewable energy industry to utilise. This situation has also been helped along by the advancement in artificial intelligence (ai) software, aviation tech, lithium battery tech and miniaturisation of image sensors. Using a drone 10 years ago was quite a different experience than it is today and much more expensive. Thankfully, this has now changed.

In the solar industry drones perfectly compliment testing and operations roles by having the ability to observe the system from above, cover great distances daily and carry a wide range of different sensors and cameras to collect a mixture of different data. It is the data that creates improvements and delivers new knowledge to the user. It is the drone that has the capability, capacity and accuracy to collect and it is the ai that is identifying and categorising the flaws found in these datasets to help simplify reports. These factors combine to deliver both a cost effective and time saving solution to preserving the lifespan of solar infrastructure.

So, what can we collect, achieve and solve using drones in the solar industry? A lot!

And that’s what makes these devices such powerful tools to bring onto your site.

ScanPro helps our clients with issues ranging from condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, quality control and compliance. Or storm and weather event management, we can provide a solution to address all of these requirements using drone acquired data.

Aerial mapping and the creation of 3D digital models has become a cost effective solution for commercial and corporate companies to consider investing in since low cost drone services have proliferated. The benefit of having access to up-to-date aerial maps or 3D digital models provides engineers, project managers, estimators and field staff with a quick visual answer to the site construction progress, operating health, safety concerns and degradation over time.

Mapping and 3D modelling is directly linked to the identification in flaws, mishaps and construction errors and these can be measured and observed using aerial maps. Identifying if a project is heading in the wrong direction early is critical to keeping within budget. Monitoring build times and controlling wastage or resources is important to maintain within allocated costs. Sharing aerial maps within your team can provide them with information to make more effective decisions. The cost of creating a map or 3D digital model could pay itself back in the first use case.

LiDAR is an amazing method for imaging terrain which uses millions of near infrared or ultraviolet laser pulses that strike the surface from above to build a 3D model. LiDAR is an acronym of “light detection and ranging”. This technology was previously too expensive for commercial businesses to afford. Thankfully it has recently advanced to a point where the benefits of this data collected method can now be enjoyed and utilised by more than governments and the military.

LiDAR provides a rich immersive solution to 3D modelling which holds the capability of extracting so much more than an image or photogrammetry can. It is also easier to acquire the data and can deliver much more detail than photogrammetry can. LiDAR’s ability to penetrate through the canopies of trees and holes in structures gives it additional capabilities to reveal vast amounts of previously unobtainable information and a more immersive experience.

Building a terrain model of your site using LiDAR can help you to understand more about the land and how the environment is changing the shape of your land. This could unlock characteristics that will help guide you to making smarter decisions on civil works, road and drainage repairs or locations to build and expand your project.

ScanPro is using LiDAR in some very special ways to help the solar industry with complex and expensive issues surrounding solar PV tracker systems. We can model these and extract information about movement, sinking or heaving or mis…

Multispectral imaging and hyperspectral imaging are methods of image analysis that use various wavelengths across the electromagnetic spectrum to dissect different types of vegetation and landforms when observed from above. Multispectral imaging has been used for many years by the military and environment .

ScanPro uses multispectral imaging to help the energy sector identify vegetation species and the spread of certain types of plants. This information helps our clients manage their sites vegetation levels, the treatments required, if any. And the locations of where additional maintenance is required.

Multispectral imaging is very good at vegetation control due to its ability to be easily identifiable in aerial maps which can categorise species clearly via different colour prompts on a computer screen.

Measure plant growth state, stress factors and the location of diseases and pests. Use this information to reduce treatment costs, pinpoint application to reduce field operations and save on wasted labour and resources. Reduce your environment impact by only applying what is required.